1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to heat shields and more particularly to systems and methods for attaching heat shields to a member to be shielded.
2. Description of Related Art
Engines in high performance modern vehicles operate at very high temperatures. Certain components of the engine are prone to generating significant heat, such as the exhaust manifold and associated exhaust piping system, the engine block, etc. The excessive heat can be harmful to some neighboring components if left unprotected. It is common to employ various heat shields in under-the-hood applications as a means of shielding such neighboring components from direct exposure to the damaging heat. Various techniques are employed for attaching the heat shield in a desired position to be effective. One such approach employs spring clips that enable the heat shield to be pushed into engagement with a member to be shielded. Such spring clips have limitations in that, depending on their configuration, they can be unidirectional so as to secure the heat shield against removal in the reverse direction of installation, while enabling movement of the heat shield in other directions relative to the member to which they are attached.